July 22, 2012--Hi, it's MIKEY! I am busy preparing for my trip to London for the 30th Games of the Olympiad. I am the official DCIN Olympic Spokescat, and Games are what I do. I will bring you news and photos from London and the Games. But let me start with explaining my plans for making you a WINNER.

This is my DCIN Olympics FUNdraising chip-in. From the opening ceremony to the closing celebration, I will be accepting donations to DCIN through this chip-in. Three of you--the chip-in medal winners--will share 20 percent of what I raise from this Olympic FUNdraiser.

The GOLD winner will get half of the medal winners' pot, the SILVER winner will get one-third, and the BRONZE winner will get one-sixth. Of course, I will offer the chip-in medal winners an alternative award (something pretty to put around their necks) for offering their cash winnings back to DCIN as a donation.

This is not a game of chance. This is a game of skill, knowledge, and timing.

With each $X donation, you will give me your prediction of the number of TOTAL medals that the US participants will win during the Olympics. (You can submit a different prediction of TOTAL medals with each $X donation.) At the end of the Games, those closest to the number of TOTAL US medals without going over will be the winners.

The tie- and medal placement-breaker will be a person's prediction of the number of GOLD medals that the US participants will win. Each person gets one prediction of the number of GOLD medals--the one they submit with his/her first donation.

As a final tie-breaker, the persons who first submit the winning predictions will come in first (GOLD), second (SILVER), and third (BRONZE).

The $X amount of the donation suggested for each prediction will increase as the Games go on. That is, I will ask you to make a larger donation to make a prediction based on actual results.

To start, the donation amount I ask for each prediction of TOTAL medals is $5. As of Thursday, August 2, the donation amount I ask for each prediction of TOTAL medals is $10. As of Friday, August 15, the donation amount I ask for each prediction of TOTAL medals is $15.

You should put your predictions of TOTAL medals (and your prediction of GOLD medals the first time you donate to this chip-in) in a "note to seller" in your PayPal contribution through the chip-in. (If you don't make predictions in a note with your donations, you won't stand much of a chance of winning.) The timing of your prediction(s) is based on when the information comes through the PayPal system.

Auntie V will work with you to make your predictions if you want to donate using a check. Email her at Venita@dcin.info for those details.

You can make a prediction even without making a donation and be entered in the game. Send an email with your prediction of total and gold US medals to Auntie V at Venita@dcin.info. This way, this is not an unallowed gaming event.

I will be raising the donation amount suggested for each prediction as the Games proceed. Toward the end of the Games, I will likely suggest a $15 donation to enter each of your predictions of TOTAL medals.

To give everyone an even footing to start, this Internet page is a historical record of US Olympic medals. Please remember that past results are not a predictor of future results. (Auntie V thinks that the Securities and Exchange Commission says I have to tell you that.)

I plan to offer some bonus prizes as the Games proceed. Please watch the DCIN Facebook page for announcements about those prizes.

I wish everyone joining in these Games the best of skill, knowledge, and timing.